dobostorta

Hungarian Dobostorta (Dobos torte)

Leave a Comment / Hungarian /

Hungarian Dobostorta (Dobos torte) is a spectacular layer cake combining delicate sponge cake, buttercream frosting and a caramel topping. Eastern European cuisine is characterized by hearty, simple dishes–“peasant food” one might say. Lots of stewed meats, fermented foods and root vegetables populate the pages of this blog. Yet there are a few notable exceptions (beef stroganoff being one of them) where the dish was created intentionally and meant to be something “extra,” something elite or upscale. Chef József Dobos created the impressive dessert in 1885 for a national exhibition in Budapest, serving it first to the Emperor and Empress of Hungary. If Hungary has a national cake, this is it.

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Hungarian Dobostorta (Dobos torte) Read More »

Polish-style ribs

Polish-style ribs żeberka wieprzowe delicious and tender

1 Comment / Polish /

Polish-style ribs (żeberka wieprzowe) with a rich caraway-infused sauce are a unique way to enjoy baby back ribs. Tender and falling off the bone, these ribs will make you wonder why you ever bothered cooking a whole slab on the barbecue. This one-pot meal takes just under three hours start to finish with mostly hands-off time while the ribs slowly braise at low temperature.

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Polish-style ribs żeberka wieprzowe delicious and tenderRead More »

Polish-style ribs żeberka wieprzowe delicious and tender Read More »

Bulgarian braised duck with sauerkraut

Bulgarian braised duck with sauerkraut

Leave a Comment / Bulgarian /

Bulgarian braised duck with sauerkraut, called патица с кисело зеле (patitsa s kiselo zele), takes only about 2 hours to prepare but it tastes like it took you all day. It’s a perfect dish for the holiday table or anytime you want something a little special. The sauerkraut part, kiselo zele, takes about a month if you’re going to do it from scratch but you can substitute prepared Polish sauerkraut from the supermarket or even use fresh cabbage in a pinch (I’ll tell you how).

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Bulgarian braised duck with sauerkraut Read More »

Slovak potato sausage

Slovak potato sausage

1 Comment / Slovak /

Slovak potato sausage, or bobrovecké droby (or liptovské droby depending who you ask), is a mixture of potatoes, pork, onions and bacon stuffed in a casing, boiled and often lightly fried before serving. I made the dish while I had my sausage making equipment out for Polish sausage. I wanted something a little different and this recipe fits the bill! It’s like an entire breakfast shoved into one sausage link.

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Slovak potato sausage Read More »

Beef Stroganoff recipe without mushrooms

Beef Stroganoff recipe – A Russian classic

6 Comments / Russian /

Beef Stroganoff, the classic Russian recipe of tender beef in a creamy sauce, is known the world over. The exact origins of the recipe are somewhat in dispute. However most agree that the prominent Stroganov family made the dish famous sometime in the 19th century. The first published version (1871) contained no mushrooms or onions, ingredients considered nearly obligatory today.

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Beef Stroganoff recipe – A Russian classic Read More »

ciorbă cu coaste afumate

Romanian smoked ribs soup – Ciorbă cu coaste afumate

Leave a Comment / Romanian /

Ciorbă cu coaste afumate is a Romanian soup (“chorba”) made with smoked pork ribs and tangy, fermented wheat bran juice (borș). The name literally means ‘sour soup with smoked bones.’ In this post I will show you how to make the ciorbă completely from scratch using homemade borș. There are, of course, shortcuts to get a really good result without having to smoke your own ribs and ferment wheat bran yourself. But first let’s explore this whole class of ciorbă, sour soups, in Romania.

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Romanian smoked ribs soup – Ciorbă cu coaste afumateRead More »

Romanian smoked ribs soup – Ciorbă cu coaste afumate Read More »